On August , epona.tv published a number of still photographs from the Falsterbo show.

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1 To Dansk Ride Forbund, In response to the request from Dansk Ride Forbund concerning a statement from me regarding the warm- up of Tørveslettens Stamina during the Falsterbo show at the beginning of July 2015, and due to the still photographs of Stamina and me from the show, published by epona.tv approx. 2 months after the show, I am pleased to send you my statement. First, I would like to express my astonishment regarding the development of this case. On August , epona.tv published a number of still photographs from the Falsterbo show. On August , Dansk Ride Forbund wrote the following statement on their webpage with a link to epona.tv, without asking for my version of the case: We have now evaluated the approx. 60 photographs showing the equipage in different warm- up situations during the two days. The number of photographs, and the fact that the photographs show different warm- up sessions, leave us with the impression of clear conflict behaviour from the horse, as well as disharmony between horse and rider; and this is not in accordance with good equine welfare. Good equine welfare is one of our core areas, and we expect our equipages to carry out the warm- up and performance in accordance with good equine welfare. Moreover, we expect the riders to be capable of assessing whether the horse is ready for the task on the specific day as regards their educational and training level. It is obvious that the text indicates that I do not train and ride in accordance with good equine welfare; and furthermore, the text clearly insinuates that I am incapable of assessing whether my horse is at a suitable educational and training level for a specific task. Obviously, the text is offensive and harmful for me personally, but also for my training and sales stable. On August 27 and , I published two press releases, which still express my perception of the warm- up in Falsterbo, and which you can read here: pressemeddelse and here: pressemeddelse. My perception is consistent with the eyewitness view of the independent Swedish journalist and photographer Kim Lundin, whom I quoted in the press releases mentioned above, and it is also consistent with the Additional Report, which FEI apparently received from the chief steward in Falsterbo. This report, which you sent me on September 3, uses the following, exact wording: During the competions there was a various weather with rain, very windy, cold and finally sun. Because of that many horses were exited, but could still compete with good confidence.

2 At Falsterbo there is a lot of space for spectators following the warming up. There is also a lot of space for training and warm up for the horses. We are 3 stewards plus other functionaries in charge at every competion session, and at least 1 steward at other times for training. We have been present, listening and looking. At the days in question there has not been any reason to distribute a Yellow Card. We have not got any indications from spectators about anything impermissible. We, stewards, consider the competion has been carried out, dispite the weather, in calm and relaxed way with so many young horses. I have spoken to the owners of Tørveslettens Stamina, Pernille and Steen Rugaard. As the owners, Pernille and Steen could reasonably feel offended and resentful about the bad publicity concerning their horse. However, Pernille and Steen fortunately watched the horse and me at part of the show in Falsterbo. They were very satisfied with the horse and the riding; and I understand from them that they have also expressed this view at a meeting at Dansk Ride Forbund on September 2. FEI has despite my request not been willing to send the regular Event Report from the show in Falsterbo; and I understand from your mail dated September 3 that Dansk Ride Forbund also did not receive this report. My own perception of the warm- up in Falsterbo was and is that it was completely normal, please see my description below. This is my best recollection, more than two months after the show: I started my warm- up approx. 45 minutes before my test. First walk, then rising trot, riding Stamina long and deep, bending her to both sides to loosen up and to make her supple, before riding her into the form. Then I collected the horse and rode the exercises I would be showing in the arena. The warm- up was influenced by windy weather and many spectators. There were e.g. a few very aggressive photographers around the warm- up area, and I asked them to stop, as they were stressing me and the horse, however, they refused to do so. Tørveslettens Stamina is a hot horse, when she senses anything around her. She reacts by throwing herself forward, with her head down. She also did this a couple of times in Falsterbo. When she does this, I obviously stop her. You may remember this behaviour from the finals for 4- year- olds in Odense or e.g. at the beginning of the Grand Prix in Herning this year. She has always done this. She is a very supple horse, and it is very easy for her to get behind the vertical. The challenging part is actually to get her head up. I ride her with a specially fitted baby double bridle, as she is so sensitive in her mouth. She is not strong in any way, just a little marish some times.

3 This is my recollection from the show. Below I have listed a few more aspects concerning this case as well as my perception, as I believe it needs to be part of the picture. As mentioned in my press releases, I consider still photographs completely unsuitable for evaluation of riding quality. Moreover, they can be manipulated, it the photographer should wish to do so. In Holland, the critical journalist Dirk Willem Rosie published an article on on September 4, with the title, Telelenzen in Lausanne, from which it appears (see unauthorised translation below): Bij mij is verbazing verbijstering geworden. Nu ik de getuigenverklaring van mijn collega Kim Lundin heb gelezen en een aantal mensen heb gebeld die wél het losrijden van Andreas Helgstrand in Falsterbo van A tot Z hebben gevolgd. Kim is een goede journalist, recht in de leer als het gaat om ethiek. En ik twijfel evenmin aan de betrouwbaarheid van de andere getuigen die mij, net als Kim, vertelden dat er in Falsterbo niets bijzonders aan de hand was. We hebben hier dus een FEI die met grote ontsteltenis reageert op foto s. En onmiddellijk een onderzoek aankondigt. Geen FEI- official die een gele kaart of officiële waarschuwing heeft uitgedeeld, toch moet de onderste steen boven! Want Epona lag in de bosjes." I am annoyed... now that I have read the statement by my colleague Kim Lundin. Kim is a skilled colleague, and he does not keep back critical observations concerning ethics; and I have spoken to several colleagues, who were present at Andreas Helgstrand s warm- up from A to Z, just like Kim, they were unable to report anything noteworthy or special concerning his riding. I do not doubt their reliability either. But all of a sudden, FEI is busy reacting with aversion to pictures and initiating an investigation, even though no yellow cards were given nor any official complaints. Now, no stone should be left unturned, just because Epona hid in the shrubbery. On Friday, September 4, Ekstra Bladet wrote to me a few hours before publishing a new personalized article about this case, asking for my comments. I replied as comprehensively as time allowed. Here is the correspondence, read from below: From: Andreas Helgstrand [mailto:andreas@helgstranddressage.dk] Sent: 4 September :10 To: Thor Carlskov Subject: Fwd: Article in Ekstra Bladet Dear Thor Carlskov,

4 Thank you for your mail with draft for an article. The time that you offer me does not allow me to fully comment on the article. Is this on purpose? In brief, the still photographs published from the warm- up in Falsterbo do not have anything to do with rollkur. Even time wise, the definition of rollkur is eliminated. The photographs, which you will see if you print them one by one, were shot with very, very short intervals, and they are showing elements from the warm- up in canter, where the horse jumps forward, and I stop it. Neither the owners of the horse, spectators or other rider, judges, stewards or officials at the show had any comments to my riding. Please refer to the two press releases on my webpage with quote from an independent, Swedish journalist and photographer Kim Lundin. You can see the press releases here: LINK In the meantime, a special report is now available, procured by FEI from the chief steward at the show in Falsterbo, from which the following information appears: At Falsterbo there is a lot of space for spectators following the warming up. There is also a lot of space for training and warm up for the horses. We are 3 stewards plus other functionaries in charge at every competion session, and at least 1 steward at other times for training. We have been present, listening and looking. At the days in question there has not been any reason to distribute a Yellow Card. We have not got any indications from spectators about anything impermissible. We, stewards, consider the competion has been carried out, dispite the weather, in calm and relaxed way with so many young horses. This kind of debate and documentation is beneath contempt. Ekstra Bladet could consider facilitating a debate about the beauty of dressage, and about the assessment criteria, which riders around the world ride in accordance with, instead of chasing people who want to sell subscriptions based on nonfactual information, and carrying out smear campaigns. If you and Ekstra Bladet could be interested in treating this subject in a serious manner, I would be pleased to contribute. Andreas Helgstrand From: Thor Carlskov thc@eb.dk Date: 4. Sep CEST To: "'andreas@helgstranddressage.dk'" <andreas@helgstranddressage.dk> Subject: Article in Ekstra Bladet Hi Helgstrand Dressage, Ekstra Bladet has asked a couple of experts to evaluate the photographs from Falsterbo, which have caused heavy debate, since they were published last week. On Saturday, we will bring an article with criticism of

5 both Andreas and FEI, from the French dressage trainer Christian Carde and the German professor Uta König von Borstel. We obviously want to give Andreas Helgstrand the possibility of commenting on the criticism from the experts. If he does not agree with their assessment, we would be pleased to bring the riders reply in connection with the article. The article is attached below. Thor Carlskov Journalist Ekstra Bladet Phone: I suppose it is unnecessary to mention that my comments were cut in pieces and partially left out in the final article. So far, this is unfortunately the way Ekstra Bladet works, also when it comes to people who offer to contribute constructively to shed light on a relevant subject. Based on the comprehensive information available, I hope Dansk Ride Forbund is now completely convinced that there is no basis for criticism concerning my riding of Tørveslettens Stamina in Falsterbo, at the 5- star CDI show held in Sweden. As a rider under Dansk Ride Forbund, I hope that this case, and the perspectives it gives rise to, and the documentation available will prompt Dansk Ride Forbund to rectify your own conduct by posting on your webpage that the Federation now has seen the statements from the parties involved, i.e. the chief steward and me, and have evaluated the other statements and information available, and as a consequence will apologize for the fast and critical statements, and the insinuations and criticism implied towards me personally and my stable. Furthermore, I hope for the sake of our sport that Dansk Ride Forbund, together with Ekstra Bladet, epona.tv and all other interested parties will focus less on what could be interpreted as harassment, and instead focus more on development and future- proofing of our wonderful sport; and also work to set the relevant agenda with a view to this, e.g. by working actively with judge assessments of equipages in dressage, to ensure that all training and all competitions, from the riding schools up to Grand Prix dressage at the Olympics are conducted optimally. Andreas Helgstrand